Brewing More than Beer

Mention fermentation science and most people are going to assume you’re talking about brewing beer. Maybe they understand it covers pickling and cheesemaking, too. But they may not realize fermentation science is a growing industry involved in everything from developing pharmaceuticals to creating environmentally friendly bioplastics and flavoring non-fermented foods.

We spoke with two AGNR Alumnae about where fermentation science has taken them. Hint: it’s not a brewery.

Duygu Ercan is an associate principal scientist at Merck, a multi-national biopharmaceutical company.  She completed her post-doctoral research with AGNR Professor of Food Science Rohan Tikekar.

In her current role, Ercan uses microorganisms such as yeast and bacteria to produce antigens, (often proteins or sugars) that trigger an immune response, to be used in vaccines. The antigens teach a person’s immune system to recognize and defend against the germs. By very carefully controlling the fermentation process with precise temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen and nutrients, Ercan is working to optimize the production of antigens. 

"You're thinking about the microorganisms in that environment,” Ercan said, “and you need to know the chemistry, biology and microbiology and also the engineering principles in order to reach the final product.”  A degree in fermentation science is essentially applied training in all of those fields combined, which Ercan said helps graduates hit the ground running more easily than someone with a single degree in any of the individual disciplines.

Simply put, fermentation is about using bacteria and fungi to make molecules naturally instead of synthesizing them chemically. That’s what makes it so useful to so many industries. In manufacturing, for instance, scientists are using fungi to grow leather-like textiles that don’t use animals, and other microorganisms to convert plant material into clear plastic packaging.

Even in the food industry, where fermentation is synonymous with alcoholic beverages and pickled foods like Kimchi, its role extends way beyond those traditional uses. The complex flavor profiles fermentation creates are incorporated into non-fermented foods, like soups and snacks that feature yeast extract or soy sauce powder, both derived from fermentation. And fermentation is essential to making low-alcohol and non-alcoholic adult beverages consumers will buy. That’s what Kiara Andino (’25) is working on as a graduate student at The University of Vermont. During her time as a fermentation science major at AGNR, she interned at a winery, but today, she is focused on sustainable upcycling of food waste, usually fruit waste, into low- and no-alcohol beverages.

“I really broadened my view of fermentation science at AGNR,” Andino said. “It’s really a growing field, and there are so many opportunities, not only in the beverage industries, but in precision fermentation, pharmacology and other uses.”

Both Andino and Ercan agree that fermentation science is more than a path into brewing, although it’s still the foundation for a great beer. It’s a toolkit for pharmaceuticals, food, materials and agriculture that holds the promise of making the things people regularly use and consume more efficiently and sustainably.